


Queen of Love and Beauty

by irismoon



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-31
Updated: 2014-07-31
Packaged: 2018-02-11 04:02:44
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,039
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2052822
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/irismoon/pseuds/irismoon
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>What if Sandor Clegane had been forced to crown a Queen of Love and Beauty when he was declared champion at the end of the Hands Tourney</p>
            </blockquote>





	Queen of Love and Beauty

**Author's Note:**

> I have had this story on the back burner FOREVER, it was actually one of the first ideas I ever had. I saw the video that Poor Aimee Richardson made, holding up her princess for hire sign, and I remembered that I had never finished this. 
> 
> Spoilers for Book 1 and Season 1 of Game of Thrones
> 
> It all belongs to GRRM, I am just playing with it.
> 
> this is not betaed and the last line of the story irks me for some reason, I kept changing it but finally just gave up and left it alone.

"I'm no Ser." he growled out as Ser Loras Tyrell raised his arm, declaring him Champion. Trying to hide how uncomfortable he felt with the crowd cheering out their love for him, he yanked his arm away from the Knight of Flowers intending to walk away in search of some Dornish Red. 

A wreath of flowers was suddenly thrust into his hands. He stared dumbly down at the blossoms. The Tyrell boy smiled at him and gestured to the crowd. "You must crown your Queen of Love and Beauty." 

His eyes immediately went to Sansa Stark. She was impossible to miss standing in the front row with her fiery hair floating in the breeze. She was practically glowing as she smiled at him and cheered. Cheered for him, like he was some handsome brave knight worthy of a song. He looked down at the flowers in his hands once more. He was beginning to feel overwhelmed with the whole crowd staring at him waiting to see who he would choose. His eyes roamed the crowd and saw many fair ladies batting their eyes at him, ladies that had never even acknowledged his presence before today. Only the Little Bird seemed genuinely happy for him. He imagined crowning her and maybe getting a kiss in return. She would take a ribbon from her gown and tie it around his arm so he could wear her favor for all to see. Growling he scolded himself for allowing himself to fantasize even for a moment. He knew he could never crown her, Joffrey was too bad tempered, it would cause trouble to show any attention to his betrothed, even though the boy cared little for her. Tensions already ran high between the two after the events on the Kingsroad and he did not wish to cause the girl any more grief. 

He knew the answer was to crown Queen Cersei. He turned his eyes toward the royal box but found the seat next to King Robert empty. He remembered now how Cersei left in anger earlier before the joust began. Frustrated he wanted to simply throw the crown in the dirt and be done with the whole mess, his fingers crushing the delicate blossoms when suddenly his gaze fell upon the golden curls of the little princess Myrcella with her green eyes beaming up at him just like Sansas had. She smiled at him from where she sat next to Prince Tommen. He stepped forward and dropped the wreath upon her head. 

"For you My Princess." he rasped. She clapped her hands excitedly and jumped from her seat running up to the King. 

"Father, Father, The Hound made me Queen!" she cried out happily. 

"Of course he did, no one in the seven kingdoms is prettier than my little princess." King Robert declared with a jolly laugh. He rose from his seat and cried out "Come on Clegane, let us go find some more wine and drink to your victory!" 

He eagerly followed the King, relieved to be away from this uncomfortable situation, but he could not stop himself from glancing back once more. The ladies that had only a moment ago been flirting to catch his eye were leaving the stands, he was already forgotten to them, it was a worthless crown of flowers they had desired. Only the Lady Sansa still stood smiling at him. She turned to her father and he heard her sweet voice as she declared. "I knew the Hound would win." 

********

Hours later he stumbled drunkenly back to the lists. He was not sure why he had returned. The stands were empty, and he had no reason to be here. He stood in front of the royal box and closed his eyes reliving for a moment the first time in his life he had been cheered by the crowd. 

Suddenly he heard a noise and opening his eyes he saw her there in the stands, looking around the benches for something. She looked up as he approached her. "What is a Little Bird like you doing down here all alone at this hour?" he said. 

"I have misplaced my shawl, I thought perhaps I had left it here." she said. He glanced around the stands but it was dark and he knew that if the garment did happen to be laying around they would not locate it now. 

"Come along now girl, I had better see you safely back to your father." He walked forward to take her arm, when he glimpsed something white near his feet. Bending down and picking it up, he realized it was a lone flower, the petals slightly crushed and dusty. 

"That is a jonquil." she said coming to stand next to him. "It must have fallen out of the Queen of Love and Beauty crown." 

He stared down at the flower in his hand, and gently brushed the dirt away. It was white with a yellow center, a jonquil she had called it. Jonquil like the name of the maid in that stupid love song he despised. He looked up and saw Sansa waiting for him. He felt a tightening in his chest as he remembered her hand upon his shoulder the night before when he told her the story of his scars. He thought of the way she had cheered for him today, the only one whose applause had been true and genuine. He realized then that she was not like the rest of them. She was not just a chirping bird, repeating the lines they had taught her. This girl in front of him was the only honest and sincere Lady he had ever met. Before he could stop himself he reached forward and tucked the flower in her hair. 

"It is no red rose from Highgarden." he mumbled suddenly embarrassed. 

She reached up and touched the flower smiling. "I will treasure it all the same." she whispered. 

He took her arm and led the poor girl back to the Red Keep and back to her beloved Prince Joffrey. He hoped for her sake, that her father would take her safely back home to Winterfell where she belonged. She would never survive here in this den of lions.

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [Queen of Love and Beauty](https://archiveofourown.org/works/2055210) by [cherubicwindigo](https://archiveofourown.org/users/cherubicwindigo/pseuds/cherubicwindigo)




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